Balsa Foam II

Balsa Foam is the amazing plastic foam that carves like butter and paints like wood. It's ideal for sculpting and model making because it can be carved, chiseled, sawed, textured, or embossed with sharp-edged detail.

Like balsa wood, it accepts virtually any kind of spray or brush-applied paint. Use a water-based finishing medium to seal the foam and harden the surface. Unlike other plastic foams, Balsa Foam does not expand, contract, or warp at temperatures below 350°F (177°C).

Balsa Foam II is the same as Balsa Foam, but with 10 lb (per cubic foot) density. This higher density results in a more durable model, yet Balsa Foam II is still easy to carve and shape. It's great for 3-dimensional model making.

Last time I ordered this product, there was (as listed on the Blick site) Balsa-Foam 1 (7 lb), 2 (12 lb) and 3 (20 lb).I ordered Balsa-Foam 2 - and received Balsa Foam HARD DENSITY.Checking the manufacturers site, they seem to now just have a SOFT and a HARD choice.Anyway, it is still a great and very useful product, but maybe Blick should change their site to match what you actually get to avoid confusion!

I needed a high density foam that could be carved without heat tools. This worls great, although yes it get's dusty. Compared to any florist foam, it is about as dusty as that. But nothing a vaccuum won't fix! It is crisp and hard, but easy to cut. Most details show up pretty well. I used them to carve life-size weapons for a fun zombie-protection kit. As soon as they are sealed and painted, they are hard and durable.

I have been using this product for OVER ten years now, but Blick is THE best place to get it! Like "Kleenex" or "Coke", Balsa Foam is used to describe ALOT of different products, but the ORIGINAL by Amaco has proven the old adage "You get what you pay for", although currently with the discount, you get MORE than you pay for! As with ANY material there IS a learning curve (I remember damaging a sheet just removing the shrink wrap) but as advertised, easily carved, INCREDIBLE at holding detail, biggest drawback is it will oxidize metal tools if you don't clean them after use and the dust gets EVERYWHERE and is very dense creating a heavy load for your dustbuster's motor.

I needed an easier way to make a 1/72 scale ship's hull...previously I had used a styrene frame filled with polyurethane resin. Along comes Balsa-Foam: I watched a few tutorials on YouTube, then decided to try it. In my opinion, it's reasonably priced (at least for my application); easy to work with, doesn't crumble, and is light. The hull came out perfectly - I would recommend this product for just about everybody. Make sure you watch those tutorials before you begin your project. One caveat: if you use white glue to join two pieces, make sure you don't get the glue where you'll be shaping or sanding - it's VERY difficult to work with. One more thing: I clad the ship's hull with .030 styrene...I found a hot glue gun works beautifully ( again, don't get glue on the outside edges; and make sure your part is exactly where you want it, as set-up time is measured in nanoseconds!)

The price of this product compared to similar, competitive alternatives is:

A total rip-off

Bottom LineNo, I would not recommend this to a friend

Merchant response: We are sorry to hear you did not have a satisfying experience with this product. The Balsa Foam is AP Non-Toxic, but it can be dusty. The makers of the product recommend moistening the block with water before carving to reduce the amount of dust created. If you ever have specific questions regarding our products or how to use them, please contact our Product information department at info@dickblick.com or by calling (800) 933-2542. Our product specialists will be happy to help you with questions about art materials, product applications, and techniques.

Great material to work with, I use it for scratch building castles. Carves like wood, only easier to work with. Bonds great with carpenters wood glue. The only drawback is it sheds foam dust, so its a bit messy to work with until the surface is sealed. Takes paint very well.

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